1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pick-up style utility vehicle with a cargo bed which is expandable forward for making the most of space for the cargo bed and ride space according to needs of a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a pick-up style utility vehicle is provided with a relatively large cargo bed in a rear section of a seat in comparison to a handlebar style utility vehicle belonging to an all terrain vehicle. Therefore, the pick-up style utility vehicle is used in wider practical fields of uses such as transport in golf links, maintenance of the golf links, hunting and conveyance of wood materials in comparison to the handlebar style utility vehicle.
The applicant previously filed applications for inventions relating to a pick-up style utility vehicle with an expandable cargo bed, and those applications were registered. For example, the inventions include U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,159, U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,388, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,249,798.
FIG. 21 shows a pick-up style utility vehicle 901 as shown in the patent literatures described above. The pick-up style utility vehicle 901 is provided with a front seat 902, a rear seat 903, and a cargo bed CN. The cargo bed CN includes a stationary bottom plate 907 and a plate portion 904 arranged on the stationary bottom plate 907. The pick-up style utility vehicle 901 is switchable between a non-expanded state in which the vehicle is used as a four-seater vehicle and an expanded state in which the vehicle is used as a two-seater vehicle with an expanded cargo bed. A screen 905 is arranged on the stationary bottom plate 907 between the plate portion 904 and the rear seat 903.
FIG. 22 is a side view showing the pick-up style utility vehicle 901 in the non-expanded state. In the non-expanded state, passengers can sit in both the front seat 902 and the rear seat 903. The rear seat 903 is supported pivotably on a horizontal shaft 935 provided in a front end of the rear seat 903. FIG. 22 shows the rear seat 903 at a use position P1 and the cargo bed CN in the non-expanded state. The “rear seat 903 at the use position P1” indicates the seat 903 placed on the stationary bottom plate 907.
FIG. 23 is a side view showing the pick-up style utility vehicle 901 in the expanded state. In the expanded state, the rear seat 903 is at a shunting position P2. The rear seat 903 at the shunting position P2 stands up on the front side of the stationary bottom plate 907. Therefore, the passengers cannot sit in the rear seat 903 at the shunting position P2. Meanwhile, since the rear seat 903 is shunted to the front side of the stationary bottom plate 907, the entire face of the stationary bottom plate 907 is cleared. Therefore, a cargo bed CE in the expanded state is extended more than the cargo bed CN in the non-expanded state.
The non-expanded state is changed to the expanded state as follows. Firstly, the rear seat 903 pivotable on the horizontal shaft 935 is folded down forward from the use position P1 to the shunting position P2. Then, in accordance with the positional change of the rear seat 903, a position of the screen 905 is changed to the front side. As a result, a front part of the stationary bottom plate 907 is also cleared. Therefore, the entire face of the stationary bottom plate 907 is usable as a bottom face of the cargo bed. Expansion side plates 943 accommodated in the plate portion 904 are developed to the front side. In such a way, the cargo bed CE in the expanded state is formed.
FIG. 20 shows an example of the screen 905. The screen 905 is formed of a steel frame and wire mesh. Therefore, the screen 905 is a heavy member. The screen 905 is supported on a chassis by inserting protruding portions 905a, 905a of the screen 905 into attachment holes arranged in both ends of the chassis in the right and left direction. That is, there is a need for lifting the screen 905 up in order to move the screen 905. Therefore, the positional change of the screen 905 requires two persons and is not easily performed by one person.